Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
It's a boy!
Before I go on to my regular daily blog post (the topic of which I had already picked), I just wanted to let you all know that Anna just called to say that she had her baby in the middle of the night (by C-section)… It’s a boy. 5 pounds, 3 ounces – and they are both doing okay. And she says he’s really cute, with big eyes.
So I’m almost an auntie (I have little blood family, I make do with my friends). And no, I forgot to ask her his name (I was too concerned with their general health and status). I’ll have to make a visit to Victoria in the next month to take pictures….
Containing it all.
I’m tired tonight, having finished 6 days of union training and meetings, but remarkably sanguine at the moment having just finished a drink with Jess. I think it must just be the giddiness before the fall – for soon I will surely collapse in my bed. I am processing a lot just now – from all the things that have been thought and said and written into my life in the last week. It’s been another time of grand input and I’m feeling a lot of gratitude for the state of my life and the people who comprise so much of what is important to me.
I am…
- thankful for Michael for calling me on my momentary lapse of ethics.
- excited for Anna who is due to birth any day now.
- at home with Jess who is a reflective girl friend.
- grieving for the losses of people around me.
- proud of my friend who is making his debut as a speaker this week at a big conference.
- so unbelievably glad that Kyla has become so close in the last couple years.
- honoured by the trust that Darren has shown for me.
- intrigued by someone who is new in my life and a so far worthy addition.
- frustrated about another missed phone call.
- pleased with myself for being able to recognize the truth when it is right in front of me. and for doing the right thing even when I don’t want to.
It’s just a partial list, really. Because I’m also glad that I got music in front of me that I can eke out of my guitar and a voice to go with it right now. What strangeness to contain all of it at once.
Union update.
For those of you who care about my travel schedule and union life – I have just found out that the union has pulled out of collective bargaining until a couple of key pieces are in place – which are the Essential Services Agreements and the pay studies affecting some of our members. And I think my trip to St Johns (proposed by my project manager) is looking pretty much canceled now too. It looks like I am in BC from November 7th until sometime near the end of January! Well, except for the holidays I am planning. I’ve got some speaking dates in the valley and on the island – but other than that I am really looking forward to being close to home for a couple of months (even though canceled bargaining dates don’t make me very happy).
🙂
A temporary loss.
I woke up this morning unable to hear out of one of my ears. Which has been known to happen before, because sometimes my ear canals just get blocked with *ahem* gunk. Perhaps three times before now, not very often. The first time it happened I was in university and it turned into a bad ear infection, but I’ve not had that happen since. Even when you can identify the root problem, it is still pretty disturbing to wake up without most of your hearing. You would think if only one ear was sealed then you would have 50% of your hearing, but I estimate that I really only had about 20% this morning. Meaning, everything was muffled as though I had a double helping of ear plugs and a head injury at the same time. Like not being able to focus your eyes, like being underwater.
Worse still, I’m staying downtown in a hotel for union meetings and so don’t have my normal at-home cupboard of pharmaceutical supplies which meant I had to get up right away and run to the closest drug store before my meeting started. There was simply no point in attending anything until I was able to hear again. I think perhaps this was the most acute experience of temporary hearing loss I have ever had as not only was I basically deaf, but then I had to go and run an errand that involved navigating transactions (the pharmacy then morning coffee) and walking several blocks.
And I’m sure you are thinking, “how would the fact you couldn’t hear make walking to the drug store that much harder?” – but you would be surprised at how much your hearing directs navigation not to mention the overwhelming confidence issues when you’ve suddenly lost one of your major senses. I’m sure if this was a permanent affliction, I would adjust – it’s just what people do – but in my first flailing hour this morning I sure didn’t feel up to the task.
On the other hand, even with impaired hearing I was able to do what I needed to. I was able to dress, walk to the store, find the ear syringe I needed, get coffee, help a confused fellow out in the coffee shop, and finally take care of my poor stopped-up ear. If I had woken up blind – that wouldn’t have been the case. Not only would it be that much more horrifying because I have never experienced a temporary loss of sight before, I would have been able to do little more than stumble around in the unformed dark, perhaps managing to dial the hotel operator for help. Who ever thinks that for no immediately apparent reason you could just wake up without the ability to walk or talk or hear or see? But it happens. Bell’s Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, strokes, aneurysms…. viruses even.
It’s a shudder isn’t it? The quickness with which “normal” life can turn into something else. But at least I am hearing fine now.
Red Cedar 